Congratulations to the Class of 2026 inductees of the USN Cum Laude Society: Isabella Louise Aulino, Benjamin Wyatt Block, Eva Isabella Choe, Binyam Fisher Dunne, Saawan Suhaan Duvvuri, Uma Bela Ehrig, Cody James Farr, Erin Elise Ilagan, Amelia Casey Keuler, Henry Fisher Knowles, Meredith Anne Kojetin, Alice Boyd Littlehale, Agnes Adeliza McLemore, Ismaeel Moskinzada, Paulo Saoud, Ida Cecilie Schmidt, Evelyn Maeve Stevenson, Claire Emma Ward, and Lin Zheng.
By Juanita I.C. Traughber, Director of Marketing & Communications
High School administrators inducted 19 members of the Class of 2025 into University School of Nashville's Cum Laude Society on Wednesday, October 8 in the Gordon Multipurpose Room. The newest members are: Isabella Louise Aulino, Benjamin Wyatt Block, Eva Isabella Choe, Binyam Fisher Dunne, Saawan Suhaan Duvvuri, Uma Bela Ehrig, Cody James Farr, Erin Elise Ilagan, Amelia Casey Keuler, Henry Fisher Knowles, Meredith Anne Kojetin, Alice Boyd Littlehale, Agnes Adeliza McLemore, Ismaeel Moskinzada, Paulo Saoud, Ida Cecilie Schmidt, Evelyn Maeve Stevenson, Claire Emma Ward, and Lin Zheng.
Adrienne Battle, Ed.D. was the guest speaker at the ceremony. Dr. Battle has served as superintendent of Metro Nashville Public Schools since 2019. Her leadership and vision have helped drive MNPS to being named a Level 5 district in the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System every year since 2022. She led MNPS through its recovery from devastating tornadoes in the spring of 2020 and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which required the district to meet educational and humanitarian needs across Nashville and Davidson County while managing new budgetary restrictions. A Nashville native, Dr. Battle is a graduate of the district’s John Overton High School, Missouri State University, and Tennessee State University, where she earned her master’s, education specialist, and doctorate degrees in Educational Administration and Supervision.
A national organization begun in 1906, the Cum Laude Society recognizes those students who, throughout their high school years, have distinguished themselves for academic excellence. The society makes clear that academic excellence does not refer only to superior scholarly achievement, but also to the qualities of dignity and honor in pursuit of those achievements. The Cum Laude Society’s motto is Areté, Diké, Timé andmeans “excellence, justice, and honor.”
For the entire USN community: an invitation to give in gratitude, in celebration, and in honor of the woman who has given so much to our school. Make a gift at usn.org/giving to support students with needs beyond tuition and honor Interim Director Juliet Douglas.
The Middle School Quiz Bowl finished off another successful season with a trip to the Middle School National Championship Tournament in Chicago. The team fought hard and ended the season as a top-100 program in the country, finishing 75th overall. Congratulations to the team on a great performance and to Lucas Lupu ’31, named an All Star for being the fifth-highest scorer nationwide.
With the help of Middle School Educational Technologist Kari Luecke, students in Middle School Latin Teacher Richard Rosenthal's class recreated ancient Rome using USN’s 3D printer.
USN Mission: University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.